Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-02-25
CHAPTER V.

like a bur,icn>OIne secret thai NAV nC
be- told. 1t will bianch the check and
Sickcu the heart: ii " r.n1cr I, = la
terror and the bed weary: so th:.
the unhappy Wet III Will be tempted Ia
say with job: When shall | arise an,
the night he gone. and he is iuli a.
tossing, To and fro unto the dawnin.
OF the day; his sleep is scared with
dreams and teri flied with visions.
Strange that ii should be thus with Il
young and lovely woman, one not We.
two years married. The previous sea
son Mrs. Oscar Dalryml,le had bee
the gayeSt of the cav in the LondO
world. and now she had come to tow,
again. but much changed. Could il -.
illness which had changed her? Scare.
ly. For although she had pa>,c'.
through fever in the winter. tn.
traces of it were gone now, and sh
aaS entirely recovered from it.
The season was at its height, an
Mrs. Dalrymple was plunging into its
vanities headlong. when Mr.. Dalrym-
pie. in quitting the house one after
noon, encountered . young lady who
walked lame.
"Ah. Alice" said he. Have you
come to London?"
I'VE arrived yesterday" replied the
young lady, who was the sister Of Mrs.
Dalrymple and the cousin of her hus-
band. "Is Selma at home?"
''She is, for wonder. Waiting for
somebody she intends to 60 out with.
''How is she?"
II can not tell how she is. Very
strange. it seems to mel"
IL have been anxious about her." re-
piled Miss Dalrymple, 'for in letter
received few weeks ago from Mrs.
Cleveland, she said she thought Selma
any thing but WE'LL"
Take my arm, Alice, and walk
with me few paces," said Mr.. Dali
rymple. There's something the mat
ter with Selma, and can not make it
out" he continued. "She acts, for all
the world, as if she had committed
murder. told her so the other day."
Committed murder!' echoed the
astonished Alice Dalrymple.
''She's frightened at her own shadow.
When the post used to come in at the
Grange she would watch for the boy.
dart down and seize the letters, as if
rchC AVuACo III kCdI tLC ullCCliOuS
of hers. When she was recovering
that fever, and would take her letters
into her, she became blanched and
scared. Often ask her questions. or
addressed remarks to her, and she is
buried in her own thoughts and can not
hear me. She starts and means in her
sleep; and more than once L have
awoke in the middle of the mig 1T and
found her gone from the bed and pac-
ing the dressing-room."
you alarm me-" exclaimed Alice.
"What can it be?'
Il have thought that she was pining
after London fooleries, but"
''Oh, no." interrupted Alice, 'that
could not cause her to start from her
bed at night
Il was going to say so. And now
that she is in the midst of them again,
she is no better. Alice, she is mad after
these gaycties and follies, worse than
she was last year; and that need not be.
wished not TO come this season. and
told Selma the expense, last, had been
such that l could not afford, but she
would. She tUOuld, Alice. l wonder
what it is that chains her mind to this
Babel of city. hate it,
Mrs. Dalrymple was in her bedroom
when Alice entered, dressed, and wait
ing to 60 ont; dressed with expensive
elegance. When the first moments of
meeting had passed, Alice sat down
and looked at her; her check was thin.
and IFS brilliant bloom told more of
hectic than of health.
'Selina" exclaimed Alice, 'what is
the matter? You are much altered"
IAN l? People do alter. You are
altered. You look ILL.,"
mot more so than usual" replied
Alice. II get weaker with time. But
you are ill; can see it. You look as
if you had something preying on your
mind"
Nonsense" said Selma, starting
from her sister. ''You are fanciful."
::'What is it?" persisted Alice.
"1f l have, your knowing it would
do me no good, and would worry you.
And yet," added Mrs. Dalrymple, II
think will tell you. l have felt late
ly, Alice, that if I did not tell some
body should 60 mad"
Alice rose, and laid gentle hold of
her. 'Let us sit down on the sofa as
we used to sit together at the Grange,
when we were really sisters. But
Selma, if you have wanted confidant
in any grief, who so fit as your hus-
bandP'
"He!" shrieked Selina-"he! It is
q the dread of his knowing it, the anxiety
l am at, daily and hourly, to keep it
from him. that is wearing me out.
Sometimes l think l can no longer
wage the war;" she added, in a dread
whisper, "but must put an end to it
all, as Charles did,"
Alice Dalrymplc's blood seemed to
curdle as she listened to the last words,
and her face turned of CHASTITY white
ness! She could not answer them, she
did not dare to answer, or to remon-
strate.
"What have you doneP" she shiv-
cred.
'Ruined him and ruined myself, :"
was Mrs. Dalrymple's reply, untying
her bonnet and Jerking it from her
= head on to her lap. "You think have
a happy home; if you could only sec
what that home has been to me of
late!''
'Selina!' exclaimed her sister, faint
ly, ''you are trying me beyond nv
strength. Why keep me in suspense?
Of what nature is>your fault?"
debt" was Mrs. Dalrympie's curt
response. II have contracted debts
that neither he nor l can pay, thou
sands upon thousands; and they are
rendering my life al will not sag
what-upon earth"
debts! thousands upon thousands!,
confusedly uttered Alice Dalrymple.
at is So"
''How did you contract them? Not as
-as-Charles did? Surely you have
not that infatuation upon you?'
NO" answered Selma, gloumily,
mot that. AS bad a one, though. i
owe it all for dress
Il do not understand" repeated
Alice, after pause of astonishment.
IL do. Damereau's bill for last sea-
son was between three and four thou
sand pounds. 1t is over four thousand
now"
Alice Dalrymple felt bewildered. She